Customs Air Intelligence officials at Nedumbassery on Sunday seized 10 gold bars weighing 1,166.2 grams from a passenger who reached the airport from Dubai. The gold is estimated at ₹34 lakh.
The accused, K.V. Sakkariya, 40, of Mannarkkad in Palakkad was apprehended at the exit hall. He had made no declaration about the gold and replied in the negative when asked whether he had any gold in his possession. During a detailed interrogation, the accused, however, revealed that he had hidden the gold in his rectum. A follow-up investigation is on to trace the other members of the racket. In several cases, smugglers conceal the gold in their person to avoid detection. The attempts, however, are foiled at times as authorities often receive specific intelligence inputs.